The Greatest Gift in Honor
by MissFaerieKaiti
Summary: TenTen has never fit in where she's expected to. So what will she do when her already-injured father gets a call to war? The movie Mulan, Naruto-style! Co-written with Neji and TenTen 4ever!
1. Prologue

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**This is basically the story Mulan, but with Naruto characters and Naruto places and all that good stuff. xD Neji and TenTen 4ever and I are co-writing this~! ;D And, if you care to note her pen name, Neji and TenTen are replacing Shang and Mulan. n_n**

**Disclaimer: It'll be fine if I say this once and only once at the beginning of this, right? We don't own _Naruto _or the characters in it - never have, unfortunately probably never will. We don't even own _Mulan_. D: Shame, I know. But please, read on anyways. x3**

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Deep within the boundaries of the Hidden Leaf Village, something was amiss.

Anbu Blackops faithfully guarded different sections of the border. One ninja in particular felt an eerie presence in the air as he scoured the area. Suddenly, in one swift motion, Sasuke the hawk swooped out from behind him, openly startling the Jonin. This could only mean one thing.

A grappling hook soared through the air and clasped the edge of the watch tower. Several more followed suit. The Anbu Blackop gasped behind his mask. "We're under attack!" he shouted to his fellow men. "Light the signal!"

As he hurried in the opposite direction, he was appalled to see enemy ninja step out where his comrades should've. He expertly dodged an attack they threw at him and transported to the top of the tower, doing rapid hand motions. He stopped cold as an unwelcoming face greeted him.

Orochimaru rose from the shadows as Sasuke landed on his shoulder, golden eyes glinting in satisfaction, his lips curling into a triumphant smirk. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

Determinedly, the ninja got over his stupor and continued his jutsu. "Fire-Style, fireball jutsu!" The torch that stood as a barrier between them lit up in flames, signaling danger to the other borders of Konohagakure. The Blackop straightened, calm. "Now all of Konoha knows you're here."

Orochimaru chuckled slyly and dipped the Hidden Leaf emblem into the flames, his smirk growing. "Perfect."

* * *

Hizashi Hyuga strode purposefully toward the Hokage and bowed. "Lord Hokage, the Huns have crossed our northern border." A hint of alarm rang in his voice.

Ebisu, who was seated at Sarutobi's right, gasped outright. "Impossible! No one can get through our Anbu Blackops!" Sarutobi waved his hand to silence the Jonin as he waited for Hizashi's next words.

"Orochimaru is leading them."

Everyone was stunned into silence.

"We'll set up defenses around your estate immediately," Hizashi continued in the tense silence.

"No." The Hokage stood. "Send your troops to protect my people." He sideglanced at Ebisu. "Ebisu."

"Yes, My Lord?" He also stood.

"Deliver conscription notices throughout the village. We need to gather as many troops as possible."

"Forgive me, Lord Hokage," Hizashi interjected. "But I believe the Hyuga army can stop him. I speak on behalf of my brother, Hiashi."

"We won't take any chances, General." Sarutobi now stood face-to-face with him. "One grain of rice may tip the scale. One man may be the difference between victory and defeat." His words shone with collected wisdom and experience, silencing the room. Hizashi respectfully bowed his head.

The Hidden Leaf was in for a war of the ages.

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**You can pretty much guess who everyone is, right? =3  
If not, the Anbu guy is a random anyone, Orochimaru is Shan-Yu, Sasuke got cast as the hawk, Hizashi is General Li, Sarutobi is of course the Hokage/Emperor, and Ebisu is Chi Fu. Hmm, I don't think I missed anyone. x)**

**Read and review, please! Taylor and I both love those things. xD**


	2. Chapter 1

**Okies, here's the first official chapter to The Greatest Gift in Honor! Enjoy! 8D**

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TenTen kicked at the air again, then sat down, breathing hard, and wiped at the sweat trickling down her face.

She knew how her mother would react to her training again. Shizune would shake her head disapprovingly and remind her (again) that women were to do housework and take care of the children, while men were to do all the fighting. If a woman joined the army and was discovered, she was immediately put to death.

TenTen could also picture her father's reaction. Iruka would frown down at her and remind her (also again) that women brought their families honor by being a good wife and mother. It was a man's duty and honor to fight for his country and family.

But TenTen found herself repeatedly ignoring both of them, sneaking away to a place slightly secluded to train without being found out. It was difficult without a teacher to know if she was doing it right, but she still tried.

A rooster crowed, startling TenTen into leaping up suddenly. "Oh no!" she gasped. "The matchmaker!"

It was well-known throughout this part of Konoha that Ino was extremely difficult to please, but it had to be attempted in order to get a good husband. And that meant it would be even harder for someone like TenTen to please her.

She rushed into her house. "Akamaru!" she called, changing into clean, half-way decent clothing.

"Akamaru!" TenTen called again. She picked up a brush, hurriedly dipped it in ink, and made a few "notes" on her wrist to use when she was with Ino.

"Aka—" She broke off and smiled down at the sleepy dog that was gaining energy with each step he took into her room. "There you are! Want to help me with my chores this morning?"

TenTen grabbed a sack of chicken feed with a hole in the bottom and tied it to Akamaru. The she tied a string to a bone and attached the other end of the string to a stick, next tying the stick to Akamaru so that it would be just in front of him and just out of his reach.

Akamaru was off like a rocket, moving from the house to run all over the yard, chasing the bone and yipping excitedly. The hole in the chicken feed bag left a trail behind him which the chickens gathered around and began pecking at it.

In the Temple of the Ancestors, Iruka was praying. "Honorable Ancestors, please help my TenTen to impress the matchmaker today."

Akamaru raced into the temple and then ran back out just as quickly, still scattering chicken feed. The chickens ran noisily into the temple, pecking at the food. Iruka didn't need to open his eyes to know TenTen was responsible. She was always inventing ways to have Akamaru do her chores for her.

"Please, _please_ help her!" he emphasized. His daughter would need all the help the Ancestors could give her.

Eventually, Iruka stood and exited the temple, where TenTen was helping Akamaru to get his bone at last, balancing a teapot and cup with one hand.

"TenTen." Iruka surprised her, causing the items to fall from her hands. Iruka managed to catch the teapot with his cane, but the cup shattered.

"I brought a spare!" TenTen said immediately. She poured the tea and offered him the cup, chattering aimlessly as she did so.

"TenTen. TenTen," Iruka repeated for the fifth time in the last two minutes. "You should be in town by now. We're counting on you to..."

"To uphold the family honor," TenTen finished, trying not to roll her eyes. She'd heard this speech before and was anxious to avoid it now. Behind her back, she pulled her sleeve down to cover the ink markings.

"Don't worry, Father; I won't let you down. But wish me luck!" she said, excusing herself and running to the stables.

"Hurry!" Iruka urged. He glanced down at Akamaru, gnawing contentedly on his bone. "I'm going to, uh... _Pray_ some more." He reentered the temple.

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In town, Shizune was pacing in front of the building where TenTen was supposed to have been long ago. TenTen's grandma Tsunade seemed to be conducting business with a man who set up a stand nearby.

Sakura, one of the women responsible for preparing TenTen for this day, pushed back the curtain that served as a door to the building. "Shizune, is your daughter here yet? Matchmaker Ino is _not_ a patient woman," she warned before ducking back inside.

Shizune tapped a foot on the ground impatiently. "Of all days to be late..." she sighed. "I wish I had prayed to the Ancestors for luck!"

Tsunade walked up to her with a cricket (the previous owner said her name was Hinata) inside a wooden cage and rolled her eyes. "How lucky can they be?" she scoffed. "They're dead. Besides," she smirked, holding up the cage, "all the luck we'll need is right here."

She walked to the edge of the sidewalk. The street in front of her was incredibly busy. Anyone who tried crossing would likely be squashed, or at least injured in some way.

"Now, here's you're chance to prove yourself," Tsunade said to Hinata. Much to the dismay of both Hinata and Shizune, Tsunade covered her eyes with her hand and stepped out into the street.

"Tsunade, no!" Shizune shouted, but couldn't stop Tsunade in time.

Miraculously, Tsunade made it a quarter of the way across without any trouble. But for the rest of the way, drivers skidded and crashed into one another and went flying out of their wagons in an attempt to avoid hitting her. At the other side of the street, Tsunade lifted her hand from her eyes and looked around.

When she saw that she was unharmed, she turned around to face Shizune and shouted, completely oblivious to the chaos on the street, "Yep! This cricket's a lucky one!"

Shizune sighed. Between Tsunade and TenTen, it was a wonder her hair hadn't been turned completely grey already.

At that instant, TenTen galloped up on Shino, the family's best horse. She leaped to the ground and stuck to the landing. "I'm here!" she announced. Shizune gave her hair and outfit, which had bits of hay clinging to it, a stern, disapproving look.

"But Mom, I had to..." TenTen quickly tried thinking up an excuse she hadn't yet used. She was spared from having to explain, though, when her mother took her arm and hauled her into the building. Tsunade took a hold of Shino's reins and followed.

"I don't want any excuses. We need to get you cleaned up!" Shizune said, handing her over to Tsunade.

Sakura took one look at TenTen and nodded, then took her behind a screen to undress her. "This is what you give me to work with? Well, honey, I've seen worse," she declared. She shoved TenTen into the bath that had been prepared.

"We're going to turn this sow's ear into a silk purse," Sakura assured, going off to get shampoos and perfumes and other things to make TenTen a "silk purse".

TenTen rose from the water for air shivering uncontrollably. "It's freezing!"

"It would've been warm had you been on time," Shizune said.

Sakura dumped more water on top of TenTen then got to work cleaning her hair. "We'll have you washed and dried, primped and polished 'til you glow with pride. Trust my recipe for instant bride. You'll bring honor to us all." She left again to get more things.

Shizune grabbed a sponge to help wash her daughter and noticed the markings on her arm. "TenTen, what's this?" she asked suspiciously.

"Uh, notes? So I don't forget anything," TenTen responded, giving her mother a pleading look. Shizune shook her head and sighed.

Tsunade came over and handed Hinata and her cage to Shizune. "Here, hold this. We'll need more luck than I thought," she said, leaving to get some more "luck".

Minutes later, Sakura and Kurenai were working at drying out and pinning up TenTen's hair in a stylish fashion.

"Wait and see, when we're through, boys will gladly go to war for you," Sakura assured.

"With good fortune and a great hairdo, you'll bring honor to us all," Kurenai added.

TenTen and Shizune left that building, headed for another where more detail would be added to impress Ino and make TenTen look like a bride. All around them, mothers were readying their daughters either for upcoming weddings or for Ino to tell them who they would wed. Other citizens were doing different random things as well.

"A girl can bring her family great honor in one way..." Shizune told TenTen, who was paying more attention to a strategy game than her mother's chatting.

One man seemed to be smugly winning, while the other was struggling with his move. TenTen thought for a moment, then moved the second man's piece in a way that changed the entire course of the game. The second man laughed at the now-annoyed first man.

Shizune pulled TenTen away, still talking to her. "...By striking a good match. And this could be the day!"

Now Sakura and Kurenai dressed TenTen in her bridal outfit. "Men want girls with good taste," Kurenai said.

"Calm," Sakura added, then was followed by Shizune saying, "Obedient."

"Who work fast-paced," Kurenai finished.

The two women pulled on the sash going around TenTen's waist, resulting in shrinking it slightly. TenTen gasped and tried to breathe.

"With good breeding and a tiny waist," Sakura began, then was joined by the other two as she continued, "you'll bring honor to us all."

It was time to change buildings again. Shizune was once more telling TenTen things she mostly already knew.

"We all must serve our emperor who guards us from the Huns," she said. "A man by bearing arms, a girl by bearing sons."

A young girl was playing with her doll as TenTen passed by. Two boys were fighting each other with wooden swords, then one of them snatched up the doll and took off. TenTen managed to grab the doll from them - which wasn't easy considering her sleeves were way too long and went well past her hands - and she gave it back to the girl who hugged it contentedly.

Next was the make-up. Sakura and Kurenai worked carefully to paint TenTen's face like a China doll's, with paper-white skin, blood-red lips, and dark eye shadow. As well as a few other touches, including small gold earrings.

"When we're through, you can't fail," Sakura said comfortingly.

"Like a lotus blossom, soft and pale, how can any fellow say 'No sale'?" Kurenai added.

"You'll bring honor to us all," Shizune ended, placing a comb with a white blossom on it into TenTen's hair to help keep one of the two buns in place and to add a simple attraction to anyone who cared to notice it. "There. You're ready," Shizune said softly.

"Not yet," Tsunade said, appearing again finally. She had quite a collection of items in her arms, which she introduced one by one as she handed them to TenTen.

"An apple for serenity," she said, pushing said apple into TenTen's mouth. TenTen took it back out after biting off a piece.

"A pendant for balance," Tsunade continued, slipping it into TenTen's dress, out of sight.

"Beads of jade for beauty. You must proudly show it." The jade necklace was tied around TenTen's neck.

"Now add a cricket, just for luck, and even you can't blow it!" Tsunade said, hooking the cage to a part of TenTen's dress at her waist and ignoring Hinata's silent protests as she emphatically shook her head.

TenTen took her parasol and left that building alone. She glanced up at the sky, then began to pray, "Ancestors, hear my plea: Help me not to make a fool of me, and to not uproot my family tree. Keep my father standing tall."

She hurriedly caught up to the other girls who were about to meet Ino as well. She had to sneak a peek at the way they were walking so she could adjust herself to do the same. Several of them were muttering to themselves something that sounded similar to the others' talking, "Scarier than the undertaker, we are meeting our matchmaker!"

Nearby friends and family were also praying. "Destiny, guard our girls, and our future as it fast unfurls. Please look kindly on these cultured pearls, each a perfect porcelain doll."

Simultaneously, the girls with TenTen prayed without a trace of doubt they would do well, "Please bring honor to us all!"

The girls opened their parasols at the same time (TenTen was a bit behind the others, having to watch them to see what she was supposed to do, as she couldn't remember) and knelt down behind them. Ino, the dreaded Matchmaker, flung open the door.

"Umino TenTen," Ino said, looking down at her clipboard and the girls in front of her.

"Present!" TenTen called, standing.

"Speaking without permission," Ino noted, writing that down.

"Oops." TenTen facepalmed, but fortunately Ino had turned to the side and didn't see the un-lady-like gesture.

"Who spit in her bean curd?" Tsunade muttered to Shizune, who was watching the scene nervously from the front of the crowd that had gathered.

Ino motioned Tenten in through the door and slammed it shut behind them.

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Here's who's who again. ;]  
TenTen is Mulan, Iruka and Shizune are the parents of TenTen/Mulan, Tsunade is the grandmother, and Akamaru is Little Brother. ^^  
Shino's Kahn while Hinata's Crikee. Yes, Shino got cast as the horse instead of the bug. xD  
Ino's the dreaded and (in the movie) nameless Matchmaker, and Sakura and Kurenai replace the six or seven women that get Mulan ready to see the Matchmaker.  
Now's the part where you review. So do so, and Taylor and I will be forever grateful! =D


	3. Chapter 2

**Yay, another chapter! ^_^ This one's written mainly by Taylor (with a few very minor adjustments by me, but that's beside the point xD), and I hope you love it as much as I did! 8D**

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Ino made rapid notes on her clipboard, scrutinizing TenTen with a disapproving scowl. Immediately, TenTen knew this wouldn't end well.

"Too skinny," Ino tsk-tsked, blue eyes narrowing as she continued to make notes. "Not good for bearing sons," she added almost as an afterthought, leading TenTen further inside. Just then Hinata, the cricket, jumped out of her cage, apparently eager for freedom. TenTen stifled a gasp and tried desperately to get her back. With her gangly long sleeves, she managed to snatch the cricket, then desperately stuffed Hinata into her mouth just in time as Ino turned around.

She tried for a smile.

"Recite the Final Admonition." Ino stared at her expectantly, pen poised and ready for action.

"Mmm-hmm," TenTen nodded, pulling out her paper fan to cover her mouth as she discreetly dispelled Hinata out of her mouth.

Ino's mouth straightened into a thin, grim line. "Well?" she demanded impatiently.

TenTen racked her mind, trying hard to remember. She stumbled over her words. "Fulfill your duties, calmly...and..." TenTen managed to sneak a peek at her rather smudged notes scrambled on her arm as Ino circled her. "...Respectively. Um, reflect before you snack... ACT!" she exclaimed quickly to cover her mistake, then the rest of the words trickled out quickly. "This-will-bring-you-honor-and-glory." TenTen sighed in carefully concealed relief and fanned herself.

In one swift, quick motion, Ino snatched Tenten's fan, scanning it intently. She found nothing suspicious and took TenTen by the arm in the exact spot where the notes were scrawled, pulling her toward a dainty little table. The ink came off on Ino's palm. "This way. Now, pour the tea," she instructed as she sat. "To please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate a sense of dignity-" At that moment, Ino ran her hand over her mouth, the ink rubbing off with a squeak onto her attractive features. "-and refinement. You must also be poised."

TenTen, staring in astonishment at the Matchmaker, found herself missing the cup as she poured the tea. She quickly regained her composure in record time and put the spout over the teacup. Unfortunately, as she glanced down at the brew, she found Hinata relaxing happily in the steaming liquid. And, to add to her "luck", Ino took the teacup from her hands.

"Um, pardon me," TenTen beckoned meekly, only to be chastised.

"And silent!" Ino snapped, her frown lines easing as she took a whiff of the tea. "Ah..."

"Could I just take that back?" TenTen persisted, leaning across the table. "One moment..." She grasped for the cup with her long-sleeved hands.

Unfortunately, Ino wasn't about to hand it over. She fell back, pulling TenTen with her, resulting in the tea spilling all over the Matchmaker. Hinata, startled, hopped down into her dress.

"Why, you clumsy-" Ino shrieked, cutting herself off as she felt something squirm in her bodice. Her bright blue eyes widened.

"Oh! Ah! Woo!" Ino danced around, which, quite frankly, would've been hilarious if the situation wasn't so serious. TenTen's honor was on the line.

The Matchmaker tripped over the fire-pot, spilling coals. She reeled back and fell on them. TenTen inwardly cringed as the bottom of Ino's dress smoked, and in one desperate attempt lunged forward with her fan, attempting to cool the burned spot. When they both thought things couldn't get any worse, instead the bottom of her dress burst into flames. Ino screamed at the top of her lungs.

Talk about a backfire.

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The ruckus from inside could easily be heard to the increasing crowd waiting anxiously outside.

Tsunade's brown eyes twinkled as she leaned toward a stricken Shizune. "I think it's going well, don't you?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, a panicked Ino burst through the door, still screaming. "Put it out! Put it out! PUT IT OUT!" she emphasized, jumping up and down in agony.

Tenten ran out behind her, holding the teapot. Not checking to see if her aim was accurate, she dumped out the contents of the teapot all over Ino. The fire went out, fortunately, but unfortunately, the hot tea met her face and smeared her perfectly applied makeup.

Ashamed of herself, TenTen embarrassedly handed the teapot over into Ino's outstretched hands and walked briskly down the steps, shielding her face from view with her hand. A petrified Hinata quickly caught up with her and hopped back into her cage, closing the door as though she'd never left.

Enraged, Ino's knuckles turned white as she smashed the teapot on the ground. "You are a DISGRACE!" she spat. "You may look like a bride, but you will NEVER bring your family honor!" She sealed the thought with the loud slam of her door. People dispersed, whispering amongst themselves and shooting cursory glances Tenten's way.

TenTen's face fell and she buried it into her hands as Tsunade and Shizune came up behind her, placing their arms around her comfortingly. But it didn't matter. It wouldn't fix the damage she'd done. Not just to Ino, her house, her dress, and her meeting with the Matchmaker, but ultimately, her family's honor and reputation. She had failed her family.

And that was the worst feeling in the world.

* * *

It was a long, awkward walk home. Tenten held in her tears with a strong vigor, determined to conceal how hopeless she knew she was until they arrived home. All through town, people pointed and laughed. But with a quick look their way from Tsunade, they were silenced.

As they entered through the gates of their home, Iruka was waiting expectantly at the doorway. He smiled brightly and proudly Tenten's way, but she averted his gaze dejectedly as she isolated herself from her family, leading Shino toward the stables.

Iruka's face fell. He knew that look.

As Shizune approached and they conversed quietly, TenTen could see her mother delivering the heavy-laden news. Unable to see the look of disappointment on her father's face, TenTen walked along the pond in their yard, staring at her reflection in the water forlornly.

"Look at me," she sang softly. "I will never pass for a perfect bride... or a perfect daughter. Can it be I'm not meant to play this part?" She glanced quickly in the direction of her parents, Shizune supporting Iruka physically as they walked into the house. They didn't deserve her as a daughter. "Now I see that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart."

She opened the door to Hinata's cage and released the cricket onto a plant.

Then, tears brimming, TenTen knelt and stared into the lapping water, her choppy reflection greeting her. "Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don't know?" She carefully wiped the makeup off her face with a sleeve, it sliding off with a flourish. "Somehow I cannot hide who I am, though I've tried. When will my reflection show who I am inside?" She stood and sat on her family bench under a cherry blossom tree. She always came here to think or clear her mind. "When will my reflection show who I am inside?"

As her song came to an end, she heard disabled footsteps nearing. Averting her gaze lest her father see the guilt written all over her face, TenTen undid her hair and it tumbled around her shoulders. She stroked a strand of her mahogany-brown tresses, closing her eyes as Iruka took a seat beside her.

Trying for a smile, Iruka glanced up at the tree's thick branches. "My, my, what beautiful blossoms we have this year," he marveled, then turned to look at his daughter. He gently tilted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "But look, this one's late. I bet when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all." He handed her a frayed yet beautiful looking blossom sincerely.

TenTen returned his smile with a soft one of her own. Unspoken words drifted between them. All was forgiven.

Just then loud bongs broke their moment, startling them both. It was a message from the city officials.

TenTen shot Iruka a worried look as he stood, frowning.

Whatever news they had to bring, it couldn't be good.

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Hmmm, it doesn't look like any new characters were introduced here. :P  
So. Review. Now. Or we'll sic Hinata and Ino on you!


	4. Chapter 3

**Yusss, next chapter's here! 8D Enjoy~! ^_^**

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"TenTen, stay here," Shizune told her daughter as she followed Iruka out of the enclosed yard in front of the house to see what news the city officials were bringing.

Before Tsunade followed them, she coughed to grab TenTen's attention and pointed towards a low roof TenTen could climb to watch what happened. TenTen went straight towards it and tugged herself up onto the roof.

Ebisu rode into the area followed by two other men on horseback. A curious crowd gathered around to listen.

"Citizens!" Ebisu began. "I bring a message from the Hokage! The Huns have invaded Konoha!"

At this statement, several in the crowd gasped and began mumbling to each other in worried tones. A mother motioned for her young son to go back indoors as though she feared the army would arrive immediately now that the message had arrived.

"Lord Hokage orders that one man from every family must serve in the army!" Ebisu continued. He pulled out a scroll and began reading aloud family names.

"The Umino family!"

When he finally got to TenTen's family, she had to stifle a sense of panic. Iruka was the only man in the family, and he was still not fully recovered from when he last fought for Konoha – and that was assuming he ever would be. Not only was a scar visible across his nose, but his leg had never worked as well as it had before, hence the cane he used.

"No," she whispered.

Iruka handed his cane to Shizune, who looked about as horrified as TenTen felt, and was trying to hide it. He walked up to Ebisu, limping but still appearing to be strong and determined.

"I am ready to serve Lord Hokage," Iruka said, reaching up to accept the scroll one of the men held out to him.

"Father, you can't go!" TenTen cried, rushing to stand between Iruka and the offending scroll.

"Tenten," Iruka chided.

TenTen ignored him and pleaded to the man in front of her on horseback. "Please, sir, my father has already served—"

"Silence!" Ebisu interrupted, moving his own horse in front of TenTen to effectively cut her off. He gave her an icy stare before turning his attention to Iruka.

"You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue when a man is present," he said coldly. He reached over and took the scroll from the other man, then held it out once more to Iruka.

"TenTen, you dishonor me," Iruka said quietly, looking away from her. He accepted the scroll.

That stung, especially not being so long after her humiliating audience with Ino. She tried to protest, but Tsunade came up and quietly tugged TenTen off to the sidelines with the other women.

"Report tomorrow to the Dai Nihon Camp," Ebisu ordered.

"Yes, sir," Iruka acknowledged. He turned to walk back to his home, and the crowd parted to clear a path for him. Shizune offered him his cane back as he neared her, but he walked right on past, as though accepting that he had any weakness would make it worse.

Later that day, TenTen walked along the hallway in her home where the bedrooms were located. Her father's bedroom door was open, and something caused TenTen to pause and watch Iruka.

He opened a closet to reveal his armor. As TenTen hid herself mostly from view but continued watching, he unsheathed a sword and began to move it gracefully, a result of his training years before.

Suddenly, the sword clattered to the floor and Iruka gasped as his leg gave out. It was all TenTen could do to remain hidden and not make a sound.

Iruka pushed himself back into a standing position by leaning heavily against the wall. He pulled out the scroll Ebisu had given him, breathing hard. How on earth would he be able to fight this war?

Biting her lip to push down her overwhelming fear of what could happen to her father in this war, TenTen crept slowly back the way she had come.

* * *

TenTen poured tea into her family's cups at dinnertime, then into her own, doing remarkably well compared to her mistake in front of Ino.

Iruka was silent as he sipped his tea. Shizune said nothing as she sipped her tea. Tsunade was also quiet as she sipped her tea. Thunder rumbled outside.

TenTen looked from one to the other before banging her own cup down onto the table.

"You shouldn't have to go!" she said, standing.

"TenTen," Shizune warned.

"There are plenty of young men who can fight for Konoha!" TenTen continued, ignoring her mother's warning.

"It's an honor to be able to protect my country and family," Iruka said, calmly staring at TenTen.

"So you'll die for 'honor'?" TenTen asked, angry.

"I will die doing what's right!" Iruka told her firmly, standing to tower above her. When TenTen would have talked back again, he swiftly cut her off with a cold, "I know my place! It's time you learned yours."

As Iruka sat back down to his dinner, TenTen ran out of not only the room, but the house. In the rain, crying, she made her way to a large stone dragon statue and sat beneath the protection it offered, from both the rain and the emotional pain and turmoil she felt.

TenTen wasn't sure how much time had passed, but soon she saw a light come on in her parents' room. She watched as Iruka and Shizune talked, then Shizune walked away with her head down. Iruka blew out the candle and all went dark in the house. The outside still lit up with the occasional lightning.

TenTen let her thoughts drift sadly. She was a miserable failure who would bring her family nothing but dishonor if she continued this way. Her father would die in the upcoming war. Her mother and grandmother would be heartbroken over both.

What if _she_ joined the army?

TenTen wanted to discard the idea immediately, but didn't. She would surely get caught and killed. That would also bring dishonor on the family, but at least if she took Iruka's place in the war, he would live.

She would do it. TenTen would dress up like a man and join the army in her father's place.

Her wet feet left behind footprints in the family temple as TenTen walked into it. She knelt down to pray, asking the Ancestors to be with her, then immediately left. Hinata, curious as to what TenTen was doing, followed her.

She crept silently into her parents' bedroom. The scroll Iruka was to take with him to the army the next day was lying on the table next to the bed. TenTen picked it up and replaced it with the comb Shizune had used to help decorate her hair when she was with Ino. With one last, long look at her sleeping parents, she fled the room.

In the room with Iruka's sword and armor, TenTen unsheathed the sword and grabbed her hair. Squeezing her eyes closed, refusing to watch, TenTen sliced through her long, brown hair, leaving clumps of it on the floor. The rest she pinned up in, not her usual two, but one bun in the style men used. Minutes later, TenTen finished putting on her father's armor.

In the stables, Shino reared, alarmed at the strange figure entering. TenTen rushed to him and calmed him, her voice quietly reassuring him that she was someone he knew. Hinata watched from the ground near the stable doors as TenTen led Shino out into the stormy night.

She gave a last glance towards her home, almost regretting her decision. Almost.

She mounted Shino, broke open the gates leading from her home, and galloped off.

* * *

Tsunade woke up with a gasp, having a terrible feeling. A glance into TenTen's room confirmed what she felt the Ancestors had told her.

"TenTen is gone!" she said, entering Shizune and Iruka's room, a lantern lighting her way.

"Wha...?" Iruka moaned, sitting up straight but half asleep. Then his eyes rested on the comb TenTen had left.

"It can't be," he muttered, picking it up, hoping this was not what it seemed.

He limped to the closet with his armor and sword, leaning heavily on his cane. He pushed the doors open to reveal that it was empty.

Iruka ran outside and into the rain, heading towards the open gates, swinging back and forth on their hinges in the rain. He tripped halfway and fell into the mud

"TenTen!" he called, blaming himself for her disappearance.

Shizune knelt beside him, worry shown all over her face. "You have got to go after her! She could be killed!"

It pained him more than he could say, but Iruka had no choice but to tell her, "If I reveal her, she will be."

Watching from just outside the house, Tsunade sighed. "Ancestors, hear us, please," she prayed quietly. "Watch over our TenTen."

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**And 'tis now time for YOU (*pokes you* ;3) to review, cuz reviews are just awesome that way. Don't make me threaten to sic Ino on you again!**


	5. Chapter 4

**YAY, an update! 8D Sorry it took so long; it went through a bunch of editing before Taylor and I decided to publish it... ^-^'  
Anyways, enjoy! n_n~**

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All was silent on that eerie night, until fortunately, the ancestors took heed to Tsunade's prayer.

In the Family Temple, the engravings on the tombstone glowed brightly. The Great Ancestor himself rose from the rays and glanced at the statue of a small hanging dragon. "Kiba, awaken."

Apparently eager to do so, the statue shook and smoked until a red lizard emerged. "I live!" Kiba exclaimed triumphantly. "So what mortal needs my extraordinary protection?"

"Kiba..."

"And let me tell you, whoever dares to threaten our family, vengeance will be MINE!" Kiba emphasized with a snarl, which, truthfully, could hardly scare a baby. "Grr... arrgh..."

"Kiba!" The Great Ancestor snapped, receiving his attention. "These are the family guardians," he added, gesturing to statues of huge dragons. "They..."

"Protect the family," Kiba finished impatiently, obviously already having heard this many times before.

"And you, O Demoted One..." He gestured then to an empty pedestal.

The statement was received with varying levels of enthusiasm. "I... ring the gong."

"That's right," the Great Ancestor nodded. "Now, wake up the Ancestors."

Kiba sighed. "One family reunion coming up," he muttered and complied, banging his gong loudly and walking around with a voice to match. "All right, everyone, up and at 'em! C'mon, let's go. You're all way past the beauty sleep thing, believe me." One by one, the ancestors awakened. It was hard not to.

"I knew it, I knew it," one of the spirits grumbled. "That TenTen was a trouble from the start."

"Don't look at me, she gets it from your side of the family!" another protested.

"She's just trying to help her father!" one loyally defended.

"But if she's discovered, we'll be forever shamed!" another objected. "Dishonor will come to the family. Traditional values with disintegrate!"

One of the spirits, obviously a farmer, stood with his wife, pitchfork in hand. "Not to mention they'll lose the farm."

"My children never caused such trouble!" another scoffed. "They all became acupuncturists!"

"Well, we can't all be acupuncturists!"

"Noo!" another emphasized dramatically. "Your great-granddaughter had to be a CROSS-DRESSER!"

Their bickering grew louder as the conversation droned on.

"Let a guardian bring her back!" one man said as he rose above the rest of the arguing.

"Yes! Awaken the most cunning!" one agreed.

"No! The swiftest!"

"No, send the wisest!"

Poor Kiba was running back and forth from one statue to the other as the order changed constantly.

"SILENCE!" the Great Ancestor boomed, the arguing drawing to a close at his words. "We will send the most powerful of all." He motioned to the large stone dragon statue outside of the Family Temple, where TenTen had taken refuge from the rain just the night before.

Kiba laughed. "Oh, I see what you're getting at! I'll go." He struck a pose on top of the empty pedestal, which had obviously once been his, but was met with fits of mocking laughter.

"What? You don't think I can do it? Just watch this!" Kiba huffed a puff of air, attempting to blow out flames, but only a lick of fire jumped out. More laughter erupted. "Ha! See that? I'm pretty hot – but don't make me have to singe anyone to prove my point."

The Great Ancestor wasn't amused. "You had your chance to protect the Umino Family."

"Your misguidance led Hiruko to disaster!" one of the ancestors agreed.

"Yeah, thanks a lot," a headless Hiruko muttered, his head tucked beneath his arm.

Kiba frowned. "And your point is?"

"The POINT is," the Great Ancestor proclaimed, "we will be sending a REAL dragon to retrieve TenTen."

"What?" Kiba screeched indignantly. "I AM a real dragon!"

"You are not worthy of this thought!" the Great Ancestor chastised, pulling him away from the pedestal and throwing him out the temple entrance. "Now, awaken the Great Stone Dragon!"

"So you'll get back to me on this job thing." Kiba's hopeful plea was met with a smack in the face with his own gong. Muttering under his breath, peeved, Kiba hurried outside with his gong. "Just one chance. Is that too much to ask? I mean, it's not like it'll kill you."

He approached the stone dragon and sighed. "Yo, Rocky, wake up! You gotta go fetch TenTen!"

When that didn't work, he tried to pry it like a dog. "C'mon, boy! Go get her! Go on! C'mon!"

Kiba defeatedly climbed the statue, dragging the gong with him and growling the entire way. "Hello? HELLOOOO? HELLO!" he shouted at the top of his lungs into the statue's ear. When that still didn't receive any accomplishments, Kiba growled and smacked the cement ear with his gong.

To his horror, karma kicked in and the ear fell right off. Kiba desperately tried to piece it back together, but that resulted in disaster too. The entire statue crumbled. "Uh-oh.. uhh, Stoney...? Aw, man, they're gonna kill me!" he panicked.

And it only got worse. "Great Stone Dragon!" The Great Ancestor called. "Have you awakened?"

Kiba peeked over the crevice that acted as a boundary hill from the statue and the Family Temple. He held up the stone dragon's head over his own and deepened his voice. "Uh, yeah, I just woke up!" he called back. "Um, I am the Great Stone Dragon! Good morning! I will go forth and fetch TenTen! H-have I mentioned that I'm the Great Stone Dragon?"

"Go! The fate of the Umino family rests in your claws." The Great Ancestor nodded humbly.

"Don't worry," Kiba assured. "I won't fail!" He lost his balance from the heaviness of it all and went tumbling down the hill, the dragon head landing on top of him. "Ow, ah, my elbow," he moaned, voice muffled. "Oh, I know I twisted something." He squirmed his way out from underneath.

"Great, now what? I'm dead meat, and all because Ms. Man decided to take off," he growled.

Hinata meekly hopped over to him, her lilac eyes warm, and chirped at him.

"Go GET her?" Kiba repeated incredulously. "Are you kidding? After this mess, I'd have to bring her back with a medal to get back in the Temple!"

He cut himself off, eyes widening as he held up his hands in a stop-everything-I've-got-it pose. "Waitaminute! That's it! If I make TenTen a war hero, they'll beg me to come back to work! That's the master plan!" Kiba concluded with a smile, obviously pleased with himself. He immediately got up from where he sat and hurried to exit the family grounds.

Hinata chirped again, looking eager and a little uncertain.

"Heh, sure, you can come," he called over his shoulder. "But hurry up, would ya? We haven't got all day!"

Hinata quickly hopped after him, then chirped again.

"Hinata the Lucky Cricket, huh?" Kiba repeated, somewhat skeptically. "Right, sure."

They chased each other from the yard, following TenTen and debating back and forth in a way that almost suggested they'd known each other for quite a while.

Ah, what a lovely duo...

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Kiba is Mushu, if that wasn't obvious already. ;3 And the different ancestors are random anyones from Naruto. :P Also, Hiruko is the headless Deng guy. xP

**Well? What're you still sitting there reading this for? You know what comes next: review! Before we bring the Great Stone Dragon back to life and sic him on you! He's the most powerful of all (other than Kiba), remember? xD**


	6. Chapter 5

Two men were roughly shoved out of the woods into the view of a seemingly endless army, Orochimaru at the front and Sasuke on his shoulder.

"Scouts, no doubt sent by the Hokage himself," Kabuto said, standing behind the men as though to ensure they didn't try to run.

One of the men, with blond hair and blue eyes, looked defiantly up as Orochimaru dismounted form his horse and strode over to them. The other, with black hair and black eyes, seems to be calculating the size of the army and the best way to make it out alive.

"Good work, gentlemen," Orochimaru laughed softly. "Welcome to the Hun army." He gestured to the army behind him. Sasuke screeched as though to emphasize the point.

"Old man Hokage will stop you!" the blond soldier, Naruto, shouted furiously.

"Shut up, you idiot," Shikamaru, the other man, hissed.

"Stop me?" Orochimaru shook his head, chuckling light again. "He invited me," he hissed.

While Naruto continued his defiant glare, Shikamaru looked at Orochimaru as one would a poisonous snake that came too close for comfort.

"By building his wall, he sent a challenge to my strength," Orochimaru continued. "Now I'm here to play his little game. Go!" he ordered. "Tell Sarutobi-sensei to send his strongest forces. I'm ready."

He gave a last evil chuckle as Shikamaru scrambled to his feet, pulling Naruto with him.

"I'll demolish you," Naruto muttered through gritted teeth at Orochimaru, but Shikamaru tugged him down the road towards the Hokage's palace, not ready to get himself and Naruto killed when he could at all help it. And that army was huge. The two of them didn't stand a chance.

Once Shikamaru and Naruto were a considerable distance down the road, Orochimaru glanced sideways at Kidomaru, the best archer in his forces. "How many men does it take to deliver a message?"

"One," came the answer, as Kidomaru took aim with his handmade bow and arrow.

The shot was almost a confirmed hit, but moments after the arrow passed clean through Shikamaru, a log appeared in his place – the substitution jutsu. Naruto continued running, and it was safe to assume Shikamaru was also still headed that way somewhere in the trees.

"No matter," Orochimaru said to Kidomaru, who looked annoyed that his shot hadn't killed.

* * *

TenTen stared uncertainly at Dai Nihon Camp, the place she was supposed to be appearing to report for duty as a soldier. Shino stood only a couple feet away, appearing bored.

TenTen turned around toward Shino and sighed, then straightened, feigning confidence. Making her voice as deep as it could go, she acted out what she would say to the first person in the camp she met.

"Hello, fellow soldier! Tell me, where do I sign in? ...Aha, you have a sword! Look, I have one, too. They're very manly, wouldn't you agree?" TenTen attempted to draw her sword from the scabbard, but she had to tug hard on it and in just the right way to get it to budge. And then she lost her grip on it and it clattered to the ground.

Were Shino human and less reserved, he probably would've broken into laughter. As it was, his expression made TenTen snap at him in her regular voice, "I'm still working on it!"

It wasn't like she could immediately change who she was or jump right into the role of a man. Besides, if that arrogant messenger who had visited her home part of Konoha was in that camp, she ran the risk of being recognized.

But she had to do this.

And yet, could she?

"Oh, who am I kidding?" she finally sighed aloud. "It'll take a miracle for me to be able to join the army."

"DID I HEAR SOMEONE ASK FOR A MIRACLE!"

TenTen jumped at the sudden and loud voice that came with a sudden burst of fire. She swiveled around and saw a large shadow between some boulders. It was impressive – and terrifying. She couldn't swallow a scream as she ducked behind another boulder, Shino right behind her.

"A ghost," TenTen whispered, and Shino looked ready to agree. The dragonish shadow didn't seem to hear her.

The shadow continued in a booming voice, "Prepare yourself, TenTen! I've been sent by your Ancestors to be your guide throughout this dangerous mission!"

The shadow, in fact, belonged not to a ghost, but to Kiba, who was trying to make himself seem bigger and more intimidating than he knew he actually appeared. Hinata worked hard to keep the flames burning high for him.

"So you must listen carefully to me, because if anyone discovers you're a girl, the penalty… is DEATH!" Kiba continued.

Now that she had had time to get over the surprise, TenTen wondered about the validity of this shadow's claims. "Who are you?" she asked, trying not to sound suspicious. If he really was sent by her Ancestors, it would be best to actually listen to him.

"Who am I? _WHO_ am_ I_?" Kiba echoed incredulously, as though he couldn't believe she had to ask. "I am the powerful, the pleasurable, the indestructible Kiba."

He stepped out from behind the boulder and posed for TenTen and Shino. The horse promptly trampled him, making him pay for startling the two earlier. TenTen hurried to get Shino away, though she couldn't really blame him for stepping on the… What was Kiba?

"My Ancestors sent a little lizard to help me?" TenTen asked, wrinkling her nose as though she smelled something rotten.

Kiba picked himself up and glared at her. "Dragon. Drag-on! Not lizard; I don't do that tongue thing." As though trying to prove his point, Kiba stuck his forked tongue out at her in a very lizard-like way. TenTen stared at him skeptically.

Kiba could tell TenTen didn't believe him, so he tried to think of a way to gain her trust and respect. He began, "Ya know, if I were my real size, your cow over there would die of fright."

Shino snorted indignantly and probably would've trampled him again had TenTen not been in his way.

"But here I am, travel-sized, so it's more convenient for you!" Kiba continued. "My powers are way beyond anything you could imagine. For instance, my eyes can see straight through your armor."

This last remark was met with a smart slap across the face from TenTen, which made him fall back and onto the ground again. He jumped back up with a new strategy in mind.

"That's it! Dishonor on your whole family! Make a note of this," he told Hinata. She scurried to pick up a leaf and twig and began to write as Kiba continued talking.

"Dishonor on YOU, dishonor on your COW, dis—"

TenTen hurriedly put a hand over his mouth, cringing at the thought of bringing more dishonor upon her family name. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she said quickly. "I'm just nervous; I've never done this before." That was an understatement.

"Then you're going to have to trust me," Kiba said. "And don't slap me anymore, clear?"

TenTen nodded.

"All right!" Kiba cheered, marching towards the camp. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Hinata hopped after him. After exchanging another set of skeptical glances, TenTen and Shino began to follow.

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Ooo, yay, TenTen's about to meet her true love! 83 *swoons dramatically*

**...Okay, I'll stop that. xD;  
Anyways. *takes deep breath* Naruto and Shikamaru are the soldiers caught by Shan Yu, of course; and again of course, Kidomaru and Kabuto are Orochimaru's minions; and I think everyone else has already been introduced. x3**

**Next chapter, written by Taylor, will have more characters to introduce. xD**

**Do I even have to say it anymore? REVIEW, or Kidomaru will make doubly sure not to miss when he gets revenge for not having people worship at his awesomeness, despite his miss. ^_^~**


	7. Chapter 6

**TenTen's first day - or perhaps first fifteen minutes might be a bit more accurate - in camp! Be prepared to meet NEW PEOPLEZ! 8D**

* * *

It would be safe to say that TenTen caught the gaze of every man in camp as she lumbered forward. Kiba sat curled up in her collar, whispering tidbits of very helpful advice as she went on. "Ok, this is it!" Kiba whispered, grinning. "Time to show them your man-walk. Shoulders back, chest high, feet apart, head up, and strut! Two, three, break that bone, two, three, and work it!" Well, he certainly had a very interesting strategy. TenTen struggled to keep up with all this information.

It grew more and more disgusting the farther they got into camp. Tenten could barely keep herself from wrinkling her nose in disgust and tried to hide her repulse. THIS was what men lived like? They passed by men trimming their toenails and picking their noses, the snots.

"Beautiful, isn't it," Kiba commented, as if reading her mind.

"They're disgusting," Tenten retorted, every fiber of her being wanting to react on the impulse to run screaming out of the camp.

"No, they're men," Kiba pointed out matter-of-factly. "And you're gonna have to act just like them, so pay attention."

"Look! This tattoo will protect me from harm!" one recruit exclaimed enthusiastically to a bug-eyed, lanky man and one with purple facepaint all over his countenance.

"Hmm..." The one with the purple facepaint said as if thoughtfully, then punched the recruit.

The other one, the one with the bowl-cut shaped hair, gasped, fighting against amusement. "I certainly hope you can get your money back!"

"I don't think I can do this," Tenten moaned, already feeling ill at ease.

"It's all attitude!" Kiba reassured. "Be tough, like this guy here!" Tenten found herself nearly face-to-face with the facepaint one.

Kankuro scowled and spit at her feet. "What're you looking at?"

"Punch him," Kiba advised in a low voice next to TenTen's ear. "It's how men say hello." Nodding once, Tenten punched Kankuro with all the force she could muster and triumphantly watched him slam into the stomach of an obese man coming up behind them.

"So you finally made a friend, Kankuro?" Choji asked, eyes scanning over Tenten.

"Good," Kiba encouraged. "Now slap him on the behind. They like that."

Unsure of herself, Tenten did as she was told. She gave Kankuro's rear end a firm smack. He spun around defensively, already balling his fists.

"I'm gonna hit you so hard it'll make your ancestors dizzy," Kankuro threatened with a scowl. "You think I'm kidding? Watch me!"

Choji rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Kankuro, lay off. The General's not gonna handle a fight in the middle of camp well, you know. Besides, let's look for some food. I'm starving!"

Kankuro shot Tenten a meaningful look, eyes narrowing. "You're not worth my time, chicken boy," he warned before turning to leave with Choji.

Kiba's hot temper took control of him quick. "Chicken boy?" he shouted, taking offense. "Dare to say that to my face, you limp noodle!"

"Rarrrgghhh!" Kankuro shouted and spun around, grabbing Tenten and pulling his other fist back, readying himself for a nice hard punch. At the last second she ducked out of his grasp and Kankuro ended up punching Lee three times, who had been right behind her. "Oh, sorry, Lee," he apologized then caught TenTen trying to crawl away. "Hey!" Kankuro reached down to grab her forcefully, but Lee on impulse kicked him into Choji, aiming for Tenten but obviously missing the target.

"There he goes!" Lee pointed out, and the trio chased TenTen through a tent. The gang stopped abruptly at the end of a food line, resulting in Choji knocking everyone over, one by one, like a series of dominoes, and even the pot of food overturned. Everyone got up and advanced on TenTen, obviously not happy. If it's one thing you don't do to men, it's mess with their food.

"Hey, guys..." Tenten started to back away, hands held up innocently, eyes wide.

A disaster in the making...

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Captain's tent, Hizashi was going over the map and reading out the strategy as he went along. "The Huns have struck here, here, and here. I will take the main troops up to Tenshi Bridge and stop Orochimaru before he destroys this village."

"Excellent strategy, sir!" Ebisu gushed. "I do love surprises."

Hizashi turned toward a young white-eyed man seated before him, one who had remained silent up until this. "You will stay and train the new recruits. When Ebisu believes you are ready, you will join us... Captain," he added with the tiniest hint of a smile.

"Captain?" The young Hyuga repeated incredulously.

"Oh! This is an enormous responsibility, General," Ebisu pointed out hurriedly. "Perhaps a soldier with more experience?"

Hizashi studied Neji approvingly. "Excelled the highest in his class, extensive knowledge of training techniques, an impressive military lineage... and dare I say the best in his clan. I believe Neji will do an excellent job."

Neji lowered his head respectfully, dutifully keeping silent. The unconcealed gratitude in his eyes was enough answer.

"Very good then," Hizashi continued, nodding. "We'll toast Konoha's victory at the Imperial City. I'll expect a full report in three weeks," he addressed Ebisu.

"And believe me, I won't leave anything out," Ebisu vowed, obviously disapproving Neji's leadership.

Neji murmured under his breath in intrigue, "Captain Neji Hyuga. Leader of Konohagakure's finest troops. No, the greatest troops of all time." They all exited the tent.

"Most impressive," Ebisu commented dryly.

The camp was a mess. Food was scattered everywhere, tents had been torn down and some ripped apart, and the men were all fighting one another.

"Good luck, Captain!" Hizashi encouraged, heaving one leg over his horse. "Yah!" He rode off, followed by two lines of soldiers on horseback.

"Good luck...Father," Neji whispered, watching Hizashi's outline against the horizon.

"Day one," Ebisu noted, making his notes ready.

They approached the soldiers surrounded in a circle. "Soldiers!" Neji barked.

They separated, revealing a cowering Tenten. "HE started it!" all of them shouted, pointing at her accusingly.

Neji made his way toward TenTen, nothing short of anger etching his brow. "I don't need anyone causing trouble in my camp," he warned lowly.

"Sorry," TenTen started, then immediately cleared her throat, going for a masculine bravado. "I mean... sorry you had to see that. But you know how it is when you get those manly urges... just gotta KILL something. Fix things... a cook outdoors..." TenTen would've continued rambling in all her sheepishness if Neji hadn't cut in.

"What's your name?" he demanded, white eyes with a lilac and gray overtone narrowing.

"Uh... um... uh..." TenTen's mind drew a blank at the worst time.

"Your commanding officer just asked you a question!" Ebisu scolded.

"I've got a name," TenTen assured with a cheesy grin. "And it's a boy's name, too."

"Lee!" Kiba hissed. "What about Lee?"

"HIS name is Lee," Tenten retorted in a low voice, tilting her head toward Lee, the one with the bowl-cut shaped hair, in the crowd.

"I didn't ask for HIS name, I asked for yours," Neji snapped.

"Uh..Ah-Chu!" Kiba tried.

"Ah-Chu!" TenTen repeated, just then aware of how that sounded.

"Ah-Chu?" Neji repeated carefully, scrutinizing her.

"Gezuntite!" Kiba snickered. "I kill myself."

"Kiba," TenTen warned with a scowl.

"Kiba?" Neji inquired, overhearing.

"No."

"Then WHAT is it?"

"Asor!" Kiba brightened. "Asor was my best friend growing up!"

"It's Asor," Tenten responded, feeling her cheeks warm from the situation. She had hoped she wouldn't be the center of attention... Heh, one can dream, right?

"Asor," Neji repeated, as if contemplating the name.

"'Course, Asor did steal my shuriken-" Kiba started, but TenTen wrapped her fist tightly around his neck, cutting him off.

"Yes. My name is Asor," Tenten smiled innocently.

Neji held out his hand. "Let me see your conscription notice," he demanded, and Tenten handed him the scroll. He scanned over it, his eyes rounding in slight surprise. "Iruka Umino? THE Iruka Umino?"

"I didn't know Iruka had a son," Ebisu put in his two cents, brows raised.

"Er, he... doesn't talk about me much." TenTen tried to spit, but failed miserably.

"I can see why," Ebisu muttered to Neji, who barely nodded in agreement.

Neji turned to address the other soldiers. "Ok, gentlemen, thanks to your new friend Asor here, you'll spend tonight picking up every single grain of rice. Tomorrow, the real work begins." He turned and strode off purposefully, leaving angry recruits in his wake.

"You know, we really have to work on your people skills," Kiba said to Tenten.

'Tell me about it,' she thought with a sigh. Would she ever fit in anywhere?

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*legasp* So many new characters! 83 Hm, where to start?

**Kankuro is Yao, Choji is Chien Po, and Lee is Ling. x3  
Neji is of course Shang, and I believe Ebisu and Hizashi have already been identified. ;3  
Did I miss anyone? *doesn't think so***

**Don't forget to click that little reviewing link below and submit some typed stuffz, or Taylor and I will send Ebisu to haunt you! *nodnod***


	8. Chapter 7

**Ooh, a longer chapter this time! 83 And 'tis longer because of the 'To Be a Man' song in Mulan. ;3  
Enjoy! n_n~**

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The next morning, Kiba grabbed Hinata and wound up her wings like an alarm clock. TenTen sat up blearily.

"Rise and shine; up and at 'em; come one, TenTen!" Kiba said, way too cheerful for TenTen's tastes so early. She laid back down and pulled her blanket back over herself, which was promptly pulled back off by Kiba.

"Come on, get up, get dressed! Hinata and I've got breakfast ready, and the little purple cricket arranged the porridge to make a smiley face!" Kiba encouraged. He showed her the bowl, which had eggs for eyes and a strip of bacon curved up in a smile for the mouth.

"Am I late?" TenTen mumbled, still half asleep.

"No time to talk!" Kiba said, shoving food into her mouth. "Now, it's your day of training, so be good and listen to your teacher. Play nice with the other kids." He sounded like he was describing kindergarten rather than war training. Moments later, he added as an afterthought, "Unless of course the other kids wanna fight. Then you have to kick the other kids' butts."

"But I don't wanna kick—" TenTen started with a mouthful of porridge. Kiba interrupted her with a mother-like admonishment.

"Don't talk with your mouth full. Now show me your war face!"

TenTen stared at him, still not finished eating.

"I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover," Kiba said, unimpressed. "Come on, scare me!"

TenTen swallowed what food was in her mouth, then roared at Kiba so that he fell backwards.

"Now THAT'S my tough-looking warrior!" He shot up onto her shoulders and tied her hair up.

Shino appeared suddenly at the entrance to TenTen's tent as TenTen was pulling on her outfit over what she had slept in. He neighed frantically.

TenTen didn't have a clue what he was saying, but Kiba asked like Shino was crazy, "What do you mean the troops just left?"

"They WHAT?" TenTen jerked fully awake suddenly, threw on her clothes, and rolled out of the tent just as it collapsed. She ran off in the direction of the center of the camp.

"Wait, you forgot your sword!" Kiba called, running a few steps after her and dragging said sword behind him. Hinata hopped up onto the hilt to watch TenTen disappear into the numerous other tents.

"Well, looks like our new friend slept in this morning," Lee greeted TenTen with a devious smile as she joined the men. Ebisu was unsuccessfully trying to create order; most of the men were saying good morning with practical jokes and arm wrestles and the occasional real wrestle. "Good morning, Asor. Are you hungry?"

TenTen grinned playfully in reply, feeling that was the manly response. Then Kankuro took a hold of her shirt and pulled her over to stare her in the face. "Yeah, cuz know what? I owe you a knuckle sandwich!" He balled his other hand into a fist and TenTen winced instinctively, covering her face with her hands.

"Soldiers!"

Neji's bark caused the chaos to vanish. Kankuro let go of TenTen, and all the men lined up for Neji.

"You will assemble swiftly and silently – every morning," Neji commanded. He paused by a barrel of poles, slipped off his shirt, and grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows. Tenten couldn't help but notice his muscular build. It was..nice, almost. She shook her head and tore her gaze away, composing her thoughts.

"Anyone who acts otherwise," he continued, "will answer to me."

"Oo, tough guy," Kankuro muttered sarcastically.

"Kankuro." Neji calling out his name caused the other men to take a long step backward to leave Kankuro in front of them. Neji nocked an arrow and pointed it right at Kankuro. Then, just before releasing his grip on it, he shifted targets to the very top of a tall, thick pole. The arrow embedded itself neatly into the wood.

"Thank you for volunteering," Neji added. "Retrieve the arrow."

Kankuro sniffed and muttered under his breath as he walked over to the pole, "I'll get that arrow, pretty boy. And I'll do it with my shirt on."

"One moment," Neji interrupted just as Kankuro was about to jump. He walked over to Kankuro, Ebisu followed with a chest that he seemed to be having much difficulty carrying. Kankuro scowled at the interruption.

Neji opened the chest and lifted with seeming ease two weights by their ribbons. He tied one to Kankuro's right wrist and held it up. "This represents discipline." He released Kankuro's wrist which immediately dropped to the ground, unable to hold it up so suddenly. "And this represents strength." The other weight was tied to his left wrist, held up, and released. Kankuro fell hard, then picked himself up with difficulty.

The other men in the line laughed mockingly. TenTen simply watched, doubtful she would be able to do any better than – or even close to as good as – Kankuro was starting out.

"You'll need both to reach the arrow," Neji said as he walked back to the barrel of thinner poles.

Kankuro jumped. Then in an attempt to keep from sliding down the pole, Kankuro bit into it. Instead of his teeth giving way, he shaved off some of the wood as he slipped off, the weight of the, well, weights, pulling him down.

Lee did a less-than-impressive backward somersault off the pole, unable to get anywhere near the top.

Choji fell with such a force that when one of the weights hit the pole, it took out a good chunk of wood about a foot high. Miraculously, the pole stayed standing, albeit shorter than it once was. Choji cringed shamefully.

Tenten didn't do much better. She landed on her backside, slipping from the pole almost immediately. She walked back to the other men, rubbing the sore spot. No one else could get to the top and retrieve the arrow.

"We've got a long way to go," Neji muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in a typical you're-a-pain-in-the-neck gesture.

He took some of the long, thinner poles from the barrel and threw them out to the recruited soldiers. His aim was perfect, so many men caught their poles without much trouble. Tenten reached up to catch hers as well, but Kankuro caught it and snatched it away. Tenten placed her hands on her hips and scowled at him, not taking very good notice as Kankuro moved the pole behind her. With one swift gesture, he used it to knock her off her feet, flip her into the air, and land on her back. Then he innocently dropped her pole to the ground in front of her while she glared at him.

Neji didn't notice the scene, or if he did, he didn't comment. "Let's get down to business," he began, using his pole to flip two containers into the air, "to defeat the Huns."

The men (plus Tenten) gaped in amazement as he shattered the objects with his pole before they hit the ground.

He arranged the group into a semi-ordered fashion. They held out their own poles and grunted in response to his instruction.

"Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?"

As Neji continued, Lee, grinning evilly, slipped a scorpion down Tenten's back. Her eyes widened in shock and discomfort. In an effort to get rid of it, she twisted this way and that, trying to shake it out. Her pole struck out at the half-dozen men closest to her, knocking them over. As with dominos, when those men went down, they fell into and knocked over anyone else near them.

Watching the scene from a distance with Hinata, Kiba felt like banging his head on the rock. He settled for slapping his hand over his face and shaking his head. Hinata sighed and bowed her head.

"You're the saddest bunch I ever met," Neji scoffed. Using his pole to help, he leaped over the fallen men to get to Tenten. She was still flailing every which way and even caught him in the stomach with the end of her pole.

Another flip and Tenten couldn't feel the scorpion anymore. Because something even more dangerous and frightening stared her in the face and ripped the pole from her grasp: Neji.

"But you can bet before we're through, Mister, I'll make a man out of you," Neji vowed, taking a hold of her shirt and getting even more in-her-face.

Hinata had to pull Kiba's tail in an effort to keep him from going to try and pummel Neji right then and there. Ebisu sniffed disdainfully and made a few more notes on his clipboard.

For the next training part, Neji placed a board over a rock to make a small see-saw. On the end away from him and on the ground, he put three small round objects that slightly resembled apples. He positioned himself just so and took out a bow and nocked three arrows. By stepping on the half of the board in the air, the three things flew into the air. Neji aimed and then released. The arrows struck the objects and pinned them perfectly to a tree within three of the circles marked.

The other men tried their best, but they couldn't pin even one to the tree, within the marks or not.

"Tranquil as a forest, but on fire within," Neji continued teaching them.

Tenten nocked an arrow and was about to try again when Kiba popped out of her bag of arrows, took the one on her strings, and replaced it with on that had the targeted object already on it. He then disappeared again just in time for Neji to come over and give Tenten a glare for cheating. She couldn't very well explain, so she simply gave him a smile that said she hoped he would give her mercy.

The next training took place at the edge of a cliff. Neji stood with his back to the cliff and only a couple feet separating him from the edge. There was a bucket filled with water on his head and, armed with only one of the poles used in the second training, he deflected all stones thrown at him without spilling the water.

"Once you find your center, you are sure to win," was Neji's teaching for this.

When Tenten's turn came, she wobbled constantly to keep the water bucket balanced, spilling quite a bit in her effort to just keep it on her head. The other men seemed to be glad to have the chance to throw things at her, particularly Kankuro and Lee. Choji simply studied his stone as though it were a foreign object.

Tenten ducked instinctively as the first rock came at her, thus flipping the bucket upside down. This of course drenched Tenten as every drop of water fell out. The flipped bucket landed on her head again. Blinded, all Tenten could do was wildly swing her pole round and hope.

One of the rocks was in the right place at the right time and Tenten got in a lucky hit. She whacked the stone base-ball-style. Neji side-stepped before it could hit him, and the rock wound up bouncing harmlessly off Choji's stomach. He looked down at it, unhurt and unconcerned.

When she guessed the air was clear of flying stones, Tenten lifted the bucket and shamefully looked at Neji, whose eyes were narrowed at her.

"You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot, and you haven't got a clue," Neji sighed. "Somehow I'll make a man out of you."

Another training technique consisted of fishing without any equipment. Neji chopped into the water with his hand and brought it out again just as swiftly holding a fish.

Tenten was training next to Kankuro again at this time. She did her best to mimic Neji, and her hand sliced into the water and came back out triumphantly holding... Kankuro's bare foot. She had accidentally flipped him so that his foot was in breathable air while his head (along with most of the rest of his body) was underwater. She gave him an apologetic smile as she placed the foot gently back into the water. Kiba appeared just then, breathing underwater with a hollowed plant. He held out a fish for her.

The next training took place at night. The men were sent out to run through an open field with fiery arrows sailing everywhere.

"I'm never gonna catch my breath," Choji panted as he ran. He stopped suddenly and sucked in his stomach to avoid getting burned, then continued running for his life.

"Say good-bye to those who knew me," Kankuro grunted as he tripped and fell. An arrow on fire caught him just then and he jumped into the air, screaming, and ran around like crazy, trying to get it out and put the fire out as well.

"Why was I a fool in school for cutting gym?" Lee moaned. They were attempting at that time to cut through cement with their faces. Kiba smashed his face into the block of cement with little restraint. Consequently, he came back up again black and blue and minus teeth before he collapsed.

Up next was hand-to-hand combat. Tenten drew the misfortune of facing Neji. She barely blocked and dodged his easier attacks, then was sent flying backwards from a punch to the face. She landed hard against the trunk to a tree where Kiba and Hinata were hiding. It seemed her training at home had done little to nothing for her.

Kiba sent Neji a venomous glare as he grabbed a wet towel and gave Tenten's face a quick wash while Hinata fanned Tenten.

"This guy's got them scared to death," Kiba commented, still scowling.

"I hope he doesn't see right through me," Tenten murmured, exhausted. Kiba pushed her back up again and back into training.

Another type of training consisted of leaping across rapids by balancing on one pole sticking up out of the water at a time.

"Now I really wish that I knew how to swim," Choji moaned. He was the first in line, Neji right behind him. He flailed on one pole, trying to catch his balance before he fell into the water. Neji stopped in time on the pole behind him, but the other men didn't see it coming and crashed right into Neji. Neji held his ground somehow, but others were left without anything solid beneath their feet.

Another target training involved exploding dragon-head cannons. The Hun scarecrow stood unharmed in the open field, while the grounds all around it exploded.

Just as Tenten lit her own cannon, which she was sure would hit the target, Lee came along and "coincidentally" knocked over the stand that was holding the cannon in place. Before the cannon could fall to the ground, Tenten foolishly grabbed it and hugged it to her. Before she could re-aim, however, the fuse reached its end and the dragon-head took off in the opposite direction. Tenten was covered in black marks from the cannon.

The dragon head found its target – Ebisu's tent. Just as Ebisu stepped out with his clipboard, the cannon blew up his tent and slightly scorched Ebisu, who was more angry than hurt.

As this went on, Neji was giving them more general advice, the first part of which the men could already quote along with him. "Be a man!"

And Neji said, "We must be swift as the coursing river..."

"Be a man!" the small army of new recruits repeated.

"...With all the force of a great typhoon," Neji continued, "' (Be a man!)' with all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon."

That night, no one saw Neji on the rocks close to the camp as he looked at the huge pole in the distance with the arrow still sticking out of it. The look on his face was dangerously close to hopelessness and defeat.

The next day, the men were jogging along the cliffs. On their shoulders they carried a pole with sandbags tied on either end. Ebisu came along to watch, as was his job, but he rode a horse rather than kill himself with a burden that was too much.

"Time is racing toward us, 'til the Huns arrive," Neji told the men. "Heed my every order, and you _might_ survive."

During the course of this, Ebisu got Neji's attention, who was jogging in the front of the group. With the paint brush he used to make notes, he pointed out Tenten, struggling to keep up but lagging far behind.

She stumbled and fell. Even when Kiba and Hinata hurried to try and get her to get back to her feet, she couldn't, exhausted. When Hinata noticed Neji coming, she and Kiba barely had enough time to hide themselves in Tenten's shirt before Neji reached them.

With a disapproving look to Tenten, Neji picked up her load and placed it on his own shoulders, then ran back to catch up with the other men.

Tenten bowed her head, hating that she was so weak. She wanted – needed – to prove herself able to do _something_ right.

That night, as Tenten was walking back to her tent, Neji met her with Shino following.

"You're unsuited for the rage of war," Neji told her, dropping Shino's reins in her hand. "So pack up, go home, you're through. How could I make a man out of you?"

Disappointed, but thinking maybe he was right, Tenten turned and took a few steps, prepared to leave as he had ordered. But as she crossed the shadow of the pole with the arrow still, she felt a flash of determination. She tied the weights to her wrists. She would get that arrow.

The night passed. Tenten tried and failed, tried again and failed, and repeated this many times. As she worked throughout the night, Neji's words kept echoing through her mind.

"To be a man, we must be swift as the coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the force of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon."

An idea struck Tenten as she stared at the weights just before dawn. Perhaps they had more meaning than she had originally thought.

She wrapped the weights around the pole and pulled. Yes, this could work. She pulled on the weights and pushed with her feet and she climbed the pole.

She was almost halfway up as Choji, the first to wake up, stepped from his tent. Over the course of the next ten minutes, a crowd gathered beneath the pole. They were saying something, but she couldn't make out words. And perhaps it was just her imagination, but many of them seemed to be cheering her on, Lee and Kankuro included.

Her feet slipped, but her grip on the weights never slackened. Pulling harder, Tenten managed to get her feet back in place and keep climbing upwards. The sunlight brightened and showed more clearly the determination and sweat on her face. Just as she was reached the top, Neji emerged from his own tent. She threw the arrow down and it embedded itself in the ground just in front of him.

Neji looked up, startled. Tenten just grinned down at him, weary but triumphant. Slowly, a grin of satisfaction crossed his face.

That was the start of success. In the weeks that followed, everything began going better as they trained, Neji's advice still following them everywhere. TenTen had inspired them; they could soon do practically anything.

"To be a man, we must be swift as the coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the force of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon."

Every mark on the tree was hit with arrows and the apple-ish things, without a single miss.

When they jogged again with the burdens, Tenten was in the lead, with Neji yards behind her.

In hand-to-hand combat, Tenten managed to hold her own against Neji and even knock him flat with a kick to the face. His response was to touch his sore jaw and grin at her in satisfaction.

When they tried walking over the rapids on the tall poles again, Choji practically cart-wheeled across, the others right behind him.

The next time Neji tossed them poles and arranged them in a group like last time, Kankuro again caught Tenten's pole. Then he offered it to her with trying anything funny.

They ran through the field of flying, burning arrows again, and this time no one was so much as scratched.

Hitting concrete with their faces had a better effect this time. Each one cracked neatly right down the middle, and no injury to those who did the cracking.

When fishing, instead of catching simply one fish, Tenten stood up proudly with a total of four.

The Hun scarecrow exploded from a dragon-head cannon finding its true mark.

The new recruits completed their training and worked together well.

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*poke* You know the drill. Reviewing time! Anyone who acts otherwise... will answer to NEJI!


	9. Chapter 8

***curtsies* Our sincerest apologies for not having updated in such a long time! But, after weeks of waiting with held breath and near suffocation experiences, here's Chapter 8! xD**

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Eerie silence filled the air as the Huns made their way through the mountains, evil in every step.

Sasuke flew overheard and dropped a doll that was found somewhere in the distance. Orochimaru calmly picked it up and showed it to his army. "What do you see?"

"Black pine," Sai answered stoically. "From the high mountains."

"White horse hair," Kabuto put in matter-of-factly, adjusting his wide-rimmed glasses. "Umperial stallions."

"Sulphur," Kidomaru was next. "From cannons."

A sly smile crept along Orochimaru's lips. "This doll came from a village in the Tung Show Pass, where the Imperial Army is waiting."

"We can avoid them easily," Kidomaru objected, bow and arrow in hand.

"No," Orochimaru was quick to retort. "The quickest way to the Hokage is through that pass. Besides," he inspected the doll in his hand with a smirk, "the little girl will be missing her doll. We should return it to her." Dark laughter laced his words.

TenTen crept down the bank, throwing furtive glances around as she approached the calm, lapping water. A truimphant smile shone on her face as she stealthily scampered to the edge.

"Hey, this is NOT a good idea," Kiba warned in a lowered voice, following after her. "What if somebody sees you?"

"Just because I look like a man doesn't mean I have to smell like one," Tenten threw over her shoulder, stripping off her apparel out of sight.

"So a couple of guys don't rinse out their socks," Kiba huffed. "Big deal. Picky, picky, picky. Myself, I kinda like that corn-chip smell." Not really paying attention to anything but himself as usual, he paced behind the tall reeds.

TenTen stepped into the water gradually, letting the cool water soothe her aching muscles. "Ah," she sighed in contented relief, going under.

When Tenten resurfaced, Kiba tentatively approached the bank. "Ok, alright, alright, that's enough. C'mon now, get out before you get all pruney."

"Kiba, if you're so worried, go stand watch!"

Kiba kicked a pebble as he began walking away, muttering feverishly under his breath. "Yeah, yeah. Stand watch, Kiba, while I blow our secret with my stupid girly habits," he grumbled. "Hygiene!"

Three naked bodies flashed by just then, laughing to beat the band. Kiba's jaw dropped in horror.

"We're doomed! There're a couple things I KNOW they're bound to notice!" he panicked.

TenTen noticed too, gasping and dunking under just as Choji, Kankuro, and Lee jumped in, creating huge splashes. She snatched a lilypad and frantically attempted to cover herself with it as she crept into the shallow part of the water, hoping they wouldn't notice.

They noticed.

"Hey, Asor!" Kankuro greeted loudly, stopping her in her tracks.

Tenten cringed and turned, plastering on a huge fake smile. "Oh, hi, guys, I didn't know you were HERE-" Hint-hint to Kiba. "I was just washing so now I'm clean and I'm gonna go. Bye!"

"Oh, do come back!" Lee called after her. "I know we were not very nice to you before, so may we start over? I am Lee!" Tenten noticed it seemed like he never used contractions. She slowly backed away and bumped into another of the trio.

"And I'm Choji," the obese one introduced, the one she'd bumped into.

"Hello, Choji," TenTen replied politely.

Kankuro, butt-naked, stood on top of a pointed rock proudly, showing off all that he had. TenTen grimaced and attempted to cover her eyes. "And I'm Kankuro, King of the Rock! And there's nothing you girls can do about it!"

"Oh?" Lee retorted. "I believe Asor and I can do for worthy adversaries! We can take you!"

"I really don't want to take him anywhere," TenTen shared truthfully, trying to hide her disgust.

"But, Asor!" Lee protested. "We must fight!"

"No, we don't!" TenTen shot back frantically. "We could just... close our eyes and swim around!"

"Come on! Do not be such a..." Lee suddenly gave a very unmanly shriek and jumped, eyes widening and cutting himself off. "Something has bitten me!"

Kiba gagged as he resurfaced on the ground, coughing. "What a nasty flavor," he commented to himself.

Unfortunately, Lee caught sight of Kiba on the bank. "SNAKE!" he yelped.

While Kankuro, Lee, and Choji were shrieking and splashing around like a trio of frightened girls, Tenten discreetly whistled for Shino and snuck away, hiding behind her horse.

"Some King of the Rock," Lee meanwhile mumbled, huddled on the rock along with Choji and Kankuro in an awkward position.

"Whew, that was close," TenTen breathed in relief as Kiba caught up to her.

"No, that was vile!" Kiba responded indignantly. "You owe me big-time!"

"I NEVER want to see a naked man again," Tenten declared, glad that was over. Then irony slapped her in the face as an entire crowd of naked men ran by, nailing her to the spot, twitching.

Kiba shook his head. "Don't look at me," he said. "I'm NOT biting any more butts."

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**Sooo? C'mon, you know what's next! Click on that review button! xP**


	10. Chapter 9

**Yay, another update! This is kinda like where it starts getting rally juicy - war approaches! xD  
Enjoy!**

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Minutes later, fully dressed, Tenten was walking around camp and passed by Ebisu's tent. Neji and Ebisu were arguing about something. Kiba ran right up to the tent to listen in, and Hinata hopped after him. Tenten stayed where she was, curious herself what was going on.

"You think your troops are ready to fight? Hah! They would never last even a minute against the Huns!" Ebisu scoffed. He had not developed the same respect for Neji as the other troops had lately – or perhaps it was more appropriate to say he had never developed any sense of respect for Neji at all.

"They've completed their training," Neji growled, something very near to a threat lacing his words. His voice was so low Tenten had to strain to be able to hear him.

"Those _boys_ are no more fit to be soldiers than you to be captain," Ebisu responded, spitting out the word 'boys' as though he tasted something terrible so as to emphasize the insult. He continued, "Once the General reads my report, your troops will _never_ see battle."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Kiba growled menacingly from outside the tent. "I have worked way too hard to get Tenten into this war!" He glanced down at Hinata and added, scowling, "This guy is doing his best to mess up my plan!"

Should Tenten never have a chance to prove herself in the war, Kiba would never get his pedestal back!

Back inside the tent, Ebisu had moved towards the exit, but Neji grabbed his shoulder.

"We're not finished," he said, controlled fury reflecting in his pale eyes.

Ebisu smiled condescendingly and lifted Neji's hand from his shoulder. "Be careful, Captain. General Hizashi may be your father, but _I _am Lord Hokage's advisor," he said.

He continued towards the tent exit, then couldn't resist adding another snide comment, "Oh, by the way: I got that job on my own." He held open one of the tent flaps for Neji. "You're dismissed."

Neji strode out, pushing aside the tent flap next to it to pass through instead of going through the part Ebisu had pulled open, his own way of saying he didn't respect Ebisu in the least, either.

Tenten was almost directly in the path Neji chose to take, so she got a pretty good look at the angry yet attempted stoic look on her commanding officer's face. She had to try and say something to cheer him up.

"Hey, I'll hold him, and you punch!" she said as he walked by, pitching her voice low in her imitation of a man's. She pounded her fist into her other hand to emphasize her words, chuckling.

Neji barely spared her a glance as he walked passed.

"Or not..." Tenten muttered. Then she called out sincerely, forgetting to disguise her voice, "For what it's worth, I think you're a great captain!"

Neji paused and looked back at her for a moment. But before she could read the new expression he wore, he turned forward again and kept walking.

Tenten was unaware of the smile on her own face until Kiba cleared his throat down at her feet. She looked down at him.

"I saw that," Kiba said, crossing his arms.

She arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"You _like_ him, don't you?" Kiba asked, a sly grin forming.

"I..." Tenten inwardly cringed. She couldn't say yes. He was her captain, and not to mention he thought she was a boy. "No!"

Kiba wasn't impressed, or convinced. "Yeah, uh-huh, sure. GO to your TENT!" he ordered.

Tenten sighed and turned to do so, but not before sneaking one last glance to where Neji had disappeared to. A small smile was directed to no one in particular as she continued to her tent.

Once she had left, Kiba turned to Hinata and whispered, "I think it's time we took this war into our own hands." Hinata glanced incomprehensively at her own tiny hands as Kiba explained his idea to her.

Ebisu strolled out of his tent, dressed in a towel and slippers, hair covered in a towel, and another towel slung over his shoulder. He hummed as he made his way down to the river to bathe.

Meanwhile, Kiba sneaked into the tent the moment he left. Hinata hesitated, but she followed when Kiba beckoned to her.

Inside, Hinata put her part of Kiba's plan into action. By dipping her feet into ink and jumping all around a piece of paper, she made an effective typewriter. Kiba read aloud what she was writing.

"Dear Son,

"We are waiting for the Huns at the pass, and it would really mean a lot if you would come and back us up.

"Your father, General Hizashi"

Kiba made a show of considering. "Hm, not bad. But you left out 'and since we're out of rice balls, perhaps you wouldn't mind bringing up some'." Kiba crumpled the paper, aggravated, and tossed it over his shoulder. "Hinata, we're in the army here! Make it sound more urgent," he demanded.

Hinata saluted and nodded, hurrying to write out something better.

Minutes later, Kiba grinned and said with approval, "Better; much better! Now, let's go." He snatched up the paper and took off.

Shino was minding his own business, getting a drink, when he felt someone on his back.

"Shino, hey pal, we need a ride," Kiba said. Before he could get any further, however, Shino squirted water at him, causing him to lose his balance and fall from the horse's back onto the ground. A simple glance Hinata's way was all she needed to slowly leave.

"Insubordinate ruffians," Ebisu complained, walking away from the river and the laughter heard from the soldiers there. "You men owe me a new pair of slippers!" he called, shaking one of his slippers that had been soaked thoroughly. His comment was only met with more laughter from those who had heard him.

Ebisu sniffed and continued on his way back to camp. "And I do not squeal like a girl," he muttered, not quite watching where he was going.

And so he promptly squealed like a girl when a panda bear ate his slipper.

Sitting atop the panda was a scarecrow dressed in Konoha's army uniform. Kiba sat behind it and used long sticks to control its arm motions, and Hinata sat inside its nearly completely covered mouth.

"Urgent news from the general!" Kiba announced, pitching his voice as low as it could go. Hinata caused the dummy's mouth to move as Kiba spoke. He then made it hold out Hinata's paper rolled into a scroll.

Instead of taking it, Ebisu looked mistrustfully and suspiciously down at the panda.

"What's the matter? You've never seen a black and white before?" Kiba demanded, trying not to let anxiety show in his voice. He shook the scroll, trying to draw Ebisu's attention to it.

After debating a moment, Ebisu accepted the scroll but didn't open it. He instead tried to get a better look at the scarecrow. "Who are you?"

"Excuse me?" Kiba asked, sounding insulted as he dropped the fake voice. "I think the question is who are _you_?" He poked Ebisu in the chest and then slapped him in the face.

"We are in a _war_," Kiba continued outrageously. "There's no time for stupid questions!"

The panda began to walk away, so Kiba twisted the upper body of the dummy around so Ebisu wouldn't see him behind it. He continued talking however, as a reason why he had turned around. "I should have your hat for that! Snatch it right off your head."

Kiba, with the scarecrow's arm and hand, made an attempt to grab said hat Ebisu was wearing. He missed, being carried farther away by the second since the panda continued walking.

"But I'm feeling gracious today, so carry on before I report you!" he called finally. The panda bear climbed a nearby tree, taking dragon, cricket, and dummy out of sight with him.

Towards the end, Ebisu had tuned Kiba out to read the letter. When he looked up with a panicked expression, the mysterious messenger was nowhere to be found. He ran to camp and found Neji.

"Captain!" For once, the title wasn't used in a mocking way. Neji turned to watch Ebisu run up to him.

"Urgent news from the general!" Ebisu gasped, thrusting the scroll Neji's way. "We're needed at the front!"

Several yards away, Kiba and Hinata listened in. At the last thing Ebisu said, Kiba offered Hinata a high five, for which she had to jump up to return.

"Pack your bags, Hinata – we're moving out!" Kiba declared. Hinata chirped happily.

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So, you like? 83 Review, or we'll sic the panda on you! xD


	11. Chapter 10

**Woot, an update! 8D And I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I did! ^_^ Oh, but first, Taylor wants to say something~ ;D**

**"A/N: Hey guys! Tay here! I'm so very sorry for the extremely long update! u_u Right now's the part where I list excuses for why it's so belated, but that'd just be a waste of time, since I'm sure you guys are wanting to read this long-awaited installment already. xDD Anywhoozle, I promise I'm gonna give this my all and stop slacking in the updates. Thanks so much for being so patient with me! (It really helps that I have the BEST co-author ever. ^_^ Love ya, Kaiti!) x3"**

**Aww, I lovez you, too~! And YOU are the best ever! n_n**

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The army made the long trek up the mountains and weaving around valleys. As could be expected, this exhausted them, but it did not diminish their renewed vigor or the strength in their words.

"For a long time we've been marching off to battle," the men roared as they marched.

Kankuro was hunched over, his eyes weary and his scowl impatient. "In our thundering herd, we feel a lot like cattle," he commented just as they past a herd of grazing cows who mooed and glanced up briefly as the soldiers passed.

"Like a pounding beat, our aching feet aren't easy to ignore," the men moaned as they hiked up a tough ravine.

Lee burst forward, ever optimistic with a hopeful smile. Unlike the other men, he enjoyed the challenge. "Hey!" he shouted as he grabbed Kankuro's and Choji's sleeves. "Think of instead a girl worth fighting for!" A dreamy look passed through his bug eyes as he hugged his friends' heads close.

TenTen's eyes widened slightly as she overheard his words. This was about to get real awkward for her real fast. "Huh?" Her voice unintentionally came out low.

Lee beamed and slid an arm around Tenten's shoulders. "That is what I said: a girl worth fighting for!" He slid out a scroll from his breast pocket and unraveled it, revealing a picture of a pretty adorned young woman. "I want her paler than the moon, with eyes that shine like stars-"

Kankuro then interrupted, the idea warming up to him. "My girl will marvel at my strength!" he boasted, imagining him holding his girl in the air with one hand, and with ease. "Adore my battle scars!"

Choji then chimed in. "I couldn't care less what she'll wear or what she looks like; it only depends on what she cooks like!" His eyes glazed over as he hungrily imagined the many meals she'd place before him. "Beef, pork, chicken!"

"Mmm," all the men chorused heartily in agreement.

Neji rolled his eyes at his soldier's current train of thought, but whatever motivated them, he was fine with, he supposed. As their song continued, Neji couldn't help but start to imagine what qualities he would admire in a woman. He didn't want her to be weak with no backbone like the women in his family. He wanted her to be somewhat bold, independent, not so easily swayed.

The soldiers crossed through the river, wading in the water with their respective sheathed swords above their heads. Kankuro leaned toward TenTen with a satisfying smug look on his face. "I bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer," he remarked, suddenly falling face-first into the water due to his mind being elsewhere. Choji triumphantly caught a fish that leaped out of the water as Kankuro fell in. Tenten just looked nervous.

Lee strode out of the water, his armor filled with so much water it looked like he had quite the muscled body. He struck a pose as he came to the bank. "And I am sure the ladies love a man in armor!" he added, gallons of water squeezing out of his clothes as he flexed his "muscles", reducing him to his lanky form.

The men passed by several young women with sunhats who were gathering grass out of a shallow pond. They straightened, stretching their backs as they watched the soldiers saunter forward.

"You can guess what we have missed the most since we went off to war," the soldiers sang as they marched onward.

Kiba, who was with Hinata in the carriage pulled by TenTen and Shino, got a devious grin. He let out a loud whistle as they passed by the ladies. They all glanced up to see a bewildered Tenten, then giggled to each other flirtatiously.

TenTen, who at once realized what they thought, shielded her face with her free hand in embarrassment and kept walking, averting her gaze, the other gripping Shino's reins.

"What do we want?" Lee sang out.

"A girl worth fighting for!" the army answered back.

Kankuro fell into step beside Tenten, smirking with a "I'm-all-that" bravado as he continued. "My girl will think I have no flaws," he sang out. TenTen's attention was so focused on Kankuro that she didn't even notice Choji until she bumped into him.

"That I'm a major find," Choji added, the two plus Lee crowding around TenTen. They hadn't heard her input concerning girls yet, and they were curious to hear what she had to say.

Tenten quickly realized they were expecting her to add something, so she frowned and decided to try, "Uh, how about a girl who's got a brain..." She pumped her arm positively with a big grin. Lee, Kankuro, and Choji's grins spread even wider, anticipating what she was going to say. "...who always speaks her mind?" Tenten finished lamely.

The grins froze on the trio's faces and they shared disgusted glances. "Nah," they replied in sync.

Neji, up at the front of the army, heard and smirked, though he continued to face forward. It seemed Asor's perfect girl was way outside of the normal - close to Neji's version of the perfect wife, in fact.

Lee put his hand on Tenten's shoulder again, directing her attention. "My manly ways and turn of phrase are sure to thrill her!" Tenten grinned uncomfortably and slid his arm off her, shaking her head in amusement.

Kankuro rolled his eyes with a grin and grabbed Tenten's collar, pulling her towards him so he could inform her in a not-so-low voice, "He thinks he's such a lady-killer!" He hit Shino on the rear and the horse whinnied indignantly, taking off. Lee, who had been leaning against the carriage all cool-guy style, fell into the mud with a less-than-smooth demeanor.

"I've a girl back home who's unlike any other," Ebisu bragged, pulling his hood up over his head smugly as he rode on his horse. His sense of superiority couldn't come across any clearer.

Kankuro leaned back to TenTen and cupped his hand over his mouth, again remarking in a less-than-low voice, "The only girl who'd love him is his mother!" TenTen broke into a grin.

Ebisu, who overheard, turned and gave them a dirty look, obviously not pleased.

The soldiers journeyed over snow-draped mountains. "When we come home in victory, they'll line up at the door!"

Kankuro, who had just proudly finished building snowwomen with curves and various poses, realized the army had gone on without him and ran to catch up.

"What do we want?" Lee repeated, arms spread out as he rode on Choji's shoulders.

The men joined arms, grinning boisterously. TenTen, who was right in the middle of it, appeared uncomfortable and confused - more or less eager to get out. "A girl worth fighting for!"

"I wish that I had," Lee continued, bringing his hands to his face in dreamy satisfaction.

"A girl worth fighting for!" the men finished.

TenTen ducked out from under the men's grasp and attempted to walk back, casually whistling. However, Choji, Lee, and Kankuro met her with evil grins and a huge snowball. Tenten backtracked, wide-eyed as she whirled around and followed everyone else. Her playful expression quickly turned to one of horror at the scene before her.

"A girl worth fighting-" the men's voices trailed off abruptly as they saw what TenTen saw, as they saw what awaited them. Kankuro, Lee, and Choji dropped their snowball, the devious tips of their mouths turning down in a perpetual, horrified frown.

Burned ruins and ashes was all that was left of the once-cozy town and hideout. Tenten's eyes turned downcast, and she squeezed them shut to fend off tears that were threatening to come. The men's once-eager and confident stride turned into discouraged, mournful treads as they walked on into the remains.

TenTen glanced around, the feel of death palpable in the air as she gazed around and studied the demolished place sadly. Flames still licked at a few spots, and smoke rose still from others. This attack was fresh.

Even Kiba peeked out, eyes wide in disbelief and forlorn. Hinata beside him closed her eyes and shook her head slowly in grief, unable to even look.

Neji gazed around, the look on his face fierce. He turned his horse around and addressed the soldiers. "Search for survivors," he ordered, thundering off in another direction.

The men were quick to do so, segregating in different directions and spreading out.

Neji surveyed his surroundings with a frown, then backed up as what was left of a structure crumbled right in front of his horse, who whinnied in alarm.

TenTen passed through what had once been a doorway, brushing aside the ragged cloth that hung limply in it. She stopped when she saw a doll on the ground, practically undamaged, yarn hair blowing in the breeze. TenTen blinked and picked it up gingerly, closing her eyes and holding it to her chest in reverent silence.

Neji pulled up beside her and dismounted, coming to stand by her. His eyes, usually so stoic and serious, revealed grief and confusion. He didn't look at TenTen, but at the ruins before him. "I don't understand," he said softly. "My father should've been here." TenTen gazed at him sympathetically. Before she could say anything to console him, Ebisu's voice rang out sharply.

"Captain!"

Neji's head snapped up, swiveling in the direction of Ebisu's voice, then walked up to where he was. Ebisu was on a slight cliff. He pointed downwards and shook his head sadly. There was the remains of the camp. Hizashi's camp. Their ruined flag waved forlornly in the breeze. Neji's face contorted in disbelief, eyes widening. He turned as Choji walked up the steep ravine, a familiar helmet in his clutches.

Choji singled out Neji, a look of pure sorrow and sympathy on his face. "The general," he explained quietly, holding out the helmet to his captain.  
Neji took it wordlessly, staring at it with grief-stricken eyes. He tucked the helmet under his arm and strode off in another direction, obviously needing some time alone.

The rest of the army followed Ebisu's stance, then looked down at the scorched remains of the army camp, jaws dropped and stricken looks on their faces. TenTen's eyes followed Neji soon after. The captain stood alone at a cliff, his cape whipping in the breeze.

She watched with a sad gaze as Neji unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the snowy earth. The Hyuga stooped down and carefully placed his father's helmet on the hilt. Then he knelt to the ground reverently, bowing briefly. TenTen carefully approached him from behind, feeling like she should be there for him but unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry," she whispered genuinely, bowing her head in respect.

Neji stood and began to pass her, doing nothing to acknowledge her at first. Tenten's eyes followed him as he stopped, placing a hand on her shoulder gratefully and giving the tiniest hint of a slight smile. Their gazes locked, but then quick as that, Neji brushed past her, toward the army. Tenten sighed inwardly and looked at the makeshift grave of sorts Neji had made. Her heart ached - for the innocent, for the soldiers... for Neji.

Without a word to anyone, Neji passed by the men and mounted his horse, closing his eyes briefly in one gesture of grief before giving orders. He turned to his soldiers. "The Huns are moving quickly. We'll make better time to Konoha by way of the Great Naruto Bridge." He surveyed the grieving faces of his men and his voice softened. "We're the only hope for the Hokage now." Neji turned and rode off. The men followed suit wordlessly.

Kiba and Hinata exchanged sad glances, silent for once.

TenTen lingered a bit, pulling out the doll she'd scavenged. She turned and went back to the grave, stooping down and placing the doll at the base of the sword. She clasped her hands and bowed her head before standing and following her army. TenTen right then determined that she would not let Orochimaru get away with this. They would catch his army and defeat them. Even if it took her life in the process.

The doll's hair waved in the breeze as snow began to fall, signaling just the beginning of the reign of terror that awaited Neji and his army.

* * *

***legaspohnoez* o3o**

**Leave a review as I begin typing our next chapter! ;D**

**(Oh, and NaruHina Pwns would like all to rest assured his story of Mulan with Naruto characters is not copied from this one~ ;D)**


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